Adrenal Resilience

Holy basil is a plant that is native to India. It is used in Aryuvedic medicine as an “adaptogen” to counter life's stresses. It is considered a sacred plant by the Hindus and is often planted around Hindu shrines. The Hindu name for holy basil, Tulsi, means "the incomparable one (the most powerful herb known in Aryuveda).

In ayurvedic medicine it has been used for millenia to help in decreasing pain and swelling and for helping with anxiety and stress. Its nutrition helps improve energy and relieve fatigue.

Holy Basil has been the subject of numerous scientific studies. It increases swimming survival times for mice and has shown ability to protect mice from stress-induced cardiovascular changes.

Human application studies have found that Holy Basil appears to be safe to take daily in limited quantities and that it helps with normalizing metabolism and blood pressure, and with dealing with psychological and immunological stress.

Cordyceps is a fungus or mushroom that grows at high altitudes in Tibet and Bhutan, once reserved for Chinese Royalty. It is known traditionally for:

• increasing longevity and energy,
• helping with deeper breathing and alleviating coughing,
• reducing nighttime urination, strengthening the body overall,
• reducing ringing in the ears,
• and helping to overcome opium addiction

Studies have shown that Cordyceps increases ATP production (energy that is produced in cellular mitochondria).

Also, studies have shown that has helped improve many cognitive functions such as increasing clarity, reducing brain fog and improving productivity. It appears to function somewhat like a conductor in supporting communication between the adrenals, the immune system, the hypothalamus and pituitary.

Modern herbalists recommend Cordyceps to support healthy stamina and physical energy levels, to support endocrine health, to support the liver and kidneys.

Wild Green Oat (Oat Straw) extract has a reputation for improving stress responses and memory, and cognitive performance. Unfortunately, memory is one of the first things that declines because of worn-out adrenal glands due to modern stress. Wild Green oats extract helps nourish the adrenals and numerous other tissues in the body.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced cross-over study was carried out to assess the benefits green oat extract for healthy adults aged 40-65 years who self-reported that they felt that their memory had declined with age.

• They found that green oat extract increased the speed of performance across on a global measure including data from all of the timed tasks.
• It improved performance of a delayed word recall task in terms of errors and an executive function task in terms of decreased thinking time and overall completion time.
• Working memory span was also increased.

Neurohackers says that green oats extract

• helps with cerebral circulation,
• increasing nutrient and oxygen delivery for a fully optimized brain.
• Also, they say it boosts alpha waves associated with super-learning, joy, feeling of natural flow in life (instead of a stressed feeling), and in cognition.

Consuming wild grass oat extract has been shown to increase dopamine levels which exert a calming, be-happier feeling throughout the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal communication circuits.

Rhodiola rosea has been used for centuries as an adaptogen, increasing one's body’s resistance to physical and mental stress in adaptive ways.

Rhodiola rosea extends lifespan in many tested organisms.

Rhodiola rosea increases production of proteins that protect cells against damage.

Rhodiola rosea improves mitochondrial health, activates SIRT (regulatory proteins that delay aging), AMPK (proteins that balance nutrient demand with energy demand) and inhibits MTOR (an important cellular aging switch).

Rhodiola rosea can protect the brain against neurotoxins and improve memory, concentration and learning.

Rhodiola has also been shown to improve symptoms of burnout, which can occur with chronic stress. One study involved 118 people with stress-related burnout who consumed Rhodiola daily for 12 weeks. Study participants showed clear improvement in various symptoms such as stress and depression commonly associated with burnout.

Due to its adaptogenic (adrenal supporting) properties, Rhodiola is thought to help alleviate fatigue.

In one study, 100 people with chronic fatigue symptoms received Rhodiola every day for 8 weeks. They experienced significant improvements in: handling stress, less fatigue, reported better quality of life, mood and ability to concentrate.

Adrenal tissues hold more Vitamin C than any other tissues in the body. And Camu Camu berries deliver a huge amount of assimilable Vitamin C (30 times more than oranges) making it very supportive for adrenal fatigue. Camu camu is considered a superfood — because it has so many nutrients that feed the body what it may be missing to improve its health.

Camu camu berries are too sour to eat. For that reason they must be prepared well into drinks or powdered and put into capsules. They grow in the Amazon rain forest and contain very powerful antioxidants, including Vitamin C, ellagic acid, anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, stilbenes, lignans and mineral antioxidants, potassium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, and copper. Studies show that Camu Camu considerably outperforms pure Vitamin C in its antioxidant benefits to the body.

Amla, also referred to as Amalaka, or Indian Gooseberry comes from India (the opposite side of the world from Camu Camu). Like Camu Camu it is rich in antioxidants carotenoids, polyphenols, flavones, and bioflavonoids. However, what makes amalaki truly unique is the tenacity of its ascorbic acid, which has proven virtually indestructible, as it is not destroyed even when the fruit is dried or even burned. As a food rich in Vitamin C, Amla supports the adrenal glands, is used for cellular energy, and supports the health of skin and blood vessels.

Chinese and Ayurvedic healers believe that every person has a subtle energy channels running through and them. If the energy cannot flow through the body freely, the mind, body, and spirit quickly become disharmonious. Amla is believed to have stabilizing and balancing effect on the subtle energy field and on the emotions in the body. People who have taken amla berry supplements on a regular basis claim that their body is easier to control in a crisis or high-stress situation and their emotions are not so over-reactive.

Consuming amla is believed to help slow the aging process and help the skin stay supple and more free of wrinkles. Amla contains chromium which makes the body more responsive to insulin.

Ginger has been used as a health tonic for many centuries. The ginger nutritional benefits that you get from consuming ginger are quite remarkable.

• Higher adrenal function: Ginger's nutritive elements help the adrenal gland function to produce hormones at higher rates. This helps burnt-out adrenal glands, having normal circulation and helping with fat burning.
• It is a powerful antioxidant: Ginger is a powerful antioxidant that aids in immunity and has a germ-fighting agent in it.
• It can relieve pain: Studies have shown that daily consumption reduces pain in patients with arthritis. It’s also known to help with menstrual pain and other pain we have within our bodies.
• Ginger reduces inflammation: Several studies have shown daily use can reduce and keep inflammation down. It aids in digestion: Compounds found in ginger are known to help heal irritation of the stomach and help with bile production and stimulate saliva for better digestion.
• Ginger is great for detoxification purposes: Ginger is widely used for detoxification purposes. It is known to release and eliminate intestinal gas, as well as soothe the stomach.
• It is a good source of the amino acid cysteine: The amino acid cysteine found in Ginger is a building block found throughout our bodies that helps build proteins in our bodies. Our bodies turn cysteine into glutathione which is a powerful antioxidant and a great resource for our immune systems.

In Ayurveda, Long Pepper is eaten for its nutrients that improve appetite and digestion. It is even believed to help with alleviating intestinal gas. Ayurvedic tradition is that it helps lung problems including asthma, bronchitis, and cough. Other traditional reasons for consuming it include helping with headaches, toothaches, fever, intestinal worms, insomnia, extreme tiredness, enlarged spleen, muscle pain, snakebites, tetanus, and excessive thirst.

It is also well known in India as an aphrodisiac and as a spice that slows down aging.

There a lot of reasons to eat black pepper.

• It improves absorption and assimilation of nutrients in whatever food is in the stomach at the same time (that's the main reason it is in this formulation).
• It's high in antioxidants.
• It helps with improving brain function.